Headlines (Campus Updates)

Laurier names Teaching Assistant Award of Excellence recipients

Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing

Apr 15/10

Wilfrid Laurier University has named Tammy Rowe and Kyle Crawford as this year’s recipients of the Teaching Assistant Award of Excellence.

Tammy Rowe is a first year masters student in the Communication Studies program. She has served as a tutorial leader for assistant communication studies professor Ian Roderick and associate communication studies professor and chair, Andrew Herman.

In his nomination letter, Roderick described Rowe as a dedicated, dynamic and effective teaching assistant.

“… Tammy found ways to innovate and connect with her students, making them believe that her extraordinary efforts needed to be returned with equal effort on their part,” wroteRoderick. “Tammy didn’t just come prepared for her tutorials, she came prepared to motivate and get the absolute best from her students.”

Herman described Rowe as demonstrating “… superior talents in all facets of the position in terms of class preparation, tutorial conduct and student supervision.”

Numerous students described her as “unbelievable” – citing her dedication, passion, creative approaches to teaching and bringing campus resources such as writing centre representatives to her class.

“She put all of her effort into making sure we were able to walk out of each tutorial with a full grasp of what the course entailed,” wrote one student. “Her creativity made learning an enjoyable experience where she tailored her teaching to the needs of the students and the different learning styles …”

Kyle Crawford is a fourth year business student who began serving as a teaching and instructional assistant for the Business 111/121 course in fall 2008. Teaching assistants for this course hold weekly labs, mark students’ work and hold office hours.

In her nomination letter, assistant business professor Laura Allan – who has worked with teaching assistants in the course for 25 years and even served as a teaching assistant in the course herself – describes Crawford as a strong mentor to his students and the most dedicated teaching assistant she’s ever met.

“It’s what Kyle does, under the radar, for no other reason than because he is so devoted to his students and so passionate about what he does, that is so impressive,” wrote Allan. “He has the support of students, peers and faculty. All of us who have worked with Kyle truly see him as exceptional.”

Fellow teaching assistants and students cite Crawford’s passion for helping students and his ability to go above and beyond what is expected.

“Kyle was very enthusiastic about his position and passionate about business, which led to great motivation in the class,” wrote one student. “Also, Kyle prepared materials to assist in the learning of the class on his own time, that he was not required to create.”

Rowe and Crawford will receive their Teaching Assistant Awards of Excellence at Laurier’s spring convocation in June.